Thanks for the thoughts on your father. Though your father is with Christ, yet as you have shared the sense of loss is great - death is a thief.
I arrived at Dunning Park after your father left for Life Church but his testimony lives on as a bright shining example of how a Christian should live. My sympathies and prayers are with you all.
Jim, what a terrific eulogy and what a delightful man your father must have been. You and your family are in my prayers.
Reading your memories brought back sweet memories of my own dad, who died three years ago. Thank you for ministering to all of us, and may God minister to you and your family in the days to come through the love and support of your friends, family, and your many readers. Grace and peace to you all.
What a beautiful eulogy to an wonderful servant of God! Thanks for sharing with all in the Sojourners family. May God's comfort be with you. Peace be with you.
Jim, thank you for your thoughts on your father, and for sharing some of his life. Prayers ascend for peace for you and your family as you all move through your grieving process.
Jim, thank you so much for sharing your Father with us through your eulogy. He obviously was a great and humble man. I hold you and your family close to my heart in prayer.
Dear Dr. Jim and Family:
I am indeed saddened to hear of your father's passing but gladdened that he is with the Lord.
As a hospice Chaplain, it is my duty, you know, to let you know that the "time to get over it," rests with you. As you said, one never "gets over it!" As time passes, however, it does get better; right now, it's horrible...I speak from experience.
May God's richest blessings be with you and yours at this Celebration event.
Chaplain George M!
Jim, thank you for sharing your eulogy and thoughts as you mourn your father's passing and celebrate his life. I was moved by it especially because my own father died in his sleep at daybreak on November 9th at age 95. I gave a tribute to him at the funeral program he had prepared. As we each grieve in our own ways, my prayers are that we remember our fathers and continue in gratitude for God's many blessings.
sorry i missed your recent visit down under
thanks for your comments about your dad very heart felt & moving
i am saving my words for the day i have to speak at my fathers funeral
one of the most important duties a son can do...
god bless
Thank you for sharing these wonderful faith-filled words with all of us. We are from many different denominations but are united by our commitment to the love of God in Christ that transcends all divisions.
I share with you the words of Aidan Kavanaugh, a liturgist and
Benedictine monk of St. Meinrad Archabbey who died recently. "Christ died, rose, and became a people." Christ is truly risen and lives in the communion of saints. We pray for your father and ask him to pray for us.
Dear Jim,
My heart goes out to you. You are so right, one does not get over the death of a loved one. You have my sincere sympathy and condolences.
For His Sake,
Linda
Jim, I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to know your father through this heart-felt eulogy. I feel I have met him because I have had the pleasure of meeting you. As I wipe away my tears, I know your father lives in you and the many lives you continue to touch. Find peace in knowing that his love touches all who read/hear your words... Que Dios los bendiga. --siempre.
What a wonderful image, the “Wallis Heavenly Open House”. And what a great way Jim Wallis Sr. remembered his wife after her death, by continuing to sign greeting cards "We love you".
It reminded me of the image my cousin shared with us last year at his mother's funeral. He encouraged us all to imagine his parents being together again on their front porch, based on a picture from the late 1940s he shared with us, then. Uncle Howard died in Korea in 1951, and Aunt Clara raised six young children.
May all those we love who have died be again enjoying the company of those they loved in life, and who preceeded them in death!
WOW! How rich you are. What an encouragement to hear your heritage ... it is said of Jesus that having loved His own, He loved them to the end. Sounds like your dad. I am especially blessed that even though his growing up years set him up for a delinquent end, he broke out of that pattern and lived like Him, in Him and through Him and taught you all how to do that by living godly in front of you and toward you. ... Generational blessings are far more reaching and strong than generational curses.
May your grief be sweet and precious and costly and may your tears water the ground imbedded by the seeds he planted there. In his absence, when you turn to find him gone and have to set the phone down without being able to call him ... at those times, in those situations may you find the truths he deposited in you welling up and know you are not bereft at all. As you discuss among the many people he blessed and with your siblings may you find that between you there are still many stories to tell, many gems of who he was to yet discover ... no, don't rush the grieving process ... it too is a part of the journey and you are on very rich and fertile ground. How blessed you are to have had such a father. With him gone, it is encumbent on you to become even more of a man than you have ever been ... you are so blessed. Thank you for sharing your memories and to the small extent you did, your grief. Thank you.
What a lovely eulogy you wrote.
As I read about your father's life, I was stunned by the similarity between his and my beloved grandpa's life. My Grandpa died almost 25 years ago, and also had a miserable childhood, fought courageously in WWI (purple heart and bronze star), then came home and married the woman he'd fallen in love with in letters while in Europe...my Grandma. Grandma was from a good Baptist family, and Grandpa came to know the Lord through her. He studied the Bible and particularly the writings of Paul all his life. They died two months apart of each other, both nearly 90, and always...always...deeply in love with one another, their family, and the Lord.
Find comfort in knowing his teachings and love will live on forever, not only in the lives of his immediately family, but in the lives of those who called him 'friend'.
God's blessings on you and your entire family at this difficult time. With great seriousness I tell you....celebrate the upcoming season. He'll be there with you right beside your mom.
Thanks to you, your father's heart continues to beat in all of our hearts--all of us who read your wise words and are inspired to action for a better planet and bless you for making it o.k. to be Christian in a world gone mad. He lives in us and we in Him.
Beautiful!
Jim, you are right to never "get over" the loss of someone you love. As one who has lost a child, I know that to "get over it" is equivalent to denying the relation -- something we cannot do. I was in Washington, D.C. at the AAR and heard you speak there once -- I was moved, and I'm now grateful for your dad who raised you to be a faithful disciple of Jesus and a man of great compassion and integrity. His heart shines in your own. For that we praise the Father of us all.
Jim, thanks for sharing your eulogy with us. My prayers are with you and your family as you mourn the passing of such a wonderful man. I'm glad he lived to hear the Democrats were winning the House and possibly the Senate. God bless you and your family.
What a wonderful and moving testimony to Jim Wallis, Sr.
You never get over the death of a loved one--you learn to live with it and incorporate into the fabric of life--which it really is. You dad will continue to live in you, Jim Jr., and the millions of us whom you have touched with your ministry.
As a grandfather, w/5 adult children and 6 grandchildren, I was most impressed by your dad's life and your understanding and recognition of his life. Certainly a model for all of us.
Thanks for sharing your love for your father. I am sorry for your loss.
Grieve well for your own sake and your father's gifts which have not disappeared, but remain with you and all your family. As a clergypeson, I did not grieve well upon the death of my wife and the depression/sense of loss took several years to heal. May the presence of God and the companionship of your brothers and sisters in Christ strengthen and comfort you
Thanks, Jim. This was a wonderful Thanksgiving tribute! And you are right about missing your dad for a long time. Mine died too young, at age 61, in 1973. I still miss him. Blessings on your grieving process and may you be comforted in His love.
Al Erisman
Sympathy to you and your family on the sudden loss of your father. The tribute you gave brought tears to my eyes, as I remembered similar eulogies I gave at each of my parents' funerals. They are always a part of us. I love the idea of the Wallis Heavenly Open House. Thanks for sharing.
My husband and I had looked forward to hearing you preach at St. Mark's in DC on the weekend your father died. Instead, we joined the community there in praying for you and your family as you grieve his death.
Thank you for sharing your eulogy, a wonderful celebration of his richly loving life and that of your mother's with your wider community. Your words make me feel that I have already been welcomed into your family's Heavenly Open House here on earth.
You will, of course, continue to live in his abundant love and to share it with others. Thank you.
God bless all of you in your grieving.
What a wonderful life your dad had! I shed a few tears reading your eulogy because you see, though I wanted him to be like your dad, he wasn't. I loved him very much, in fact for so many years he was my knight in shining armour. I try to remember the good things he did and forget the bad. What a precious homecoming it will be when you and your family are reunited in heaven.
Dear Jim,
Thank you for sharing this. I am one of the many people who have been blessed by your parents. I too grew up at Dunning and have so many memories of them both. The Christmas Eve service wont be the same without the red plaid coat your dad would wear. I remember your mom encouraging me during one of the many "open houses" we were invited to. My life has been so blessed from knowing Jim and Phyllis Wallis.
Thank you Jim for sharing the homily that you gave at your father's funeral. I too had tears of grief remembering my own father and mother's funeral. I have heard Richard Rohr at several enneagram coonventions and he is one of our modern day prophets who I listen to and follow. I am reading your book God's Politics and I believe you are also a modern day prophet. Thank you for honoring your Father and Mother's legacy by dedicating your life to peacemaking.
I know your heart will ache as you grieve--blessing on you and your family.
Lou
Jim, my sincerest condolences. I lost my father this past June and I miss him every day. Like your father, Dad was a friend and encourager to many, many people and I'm proud to be counted worthy to carry not only his name, but his mission as well.
Your heavenly father and Jim Sr. would, I'm sure, join me in encouraging you to 'not grow weary of doing good' at this time.
Blessings.
Freedom and peace in God's wisdom and grace. Thanks for your faith and faithfulness to service in Christ with such heart and courage. Your sharing this part of your journey helps me with my journey -- my father's death, though not as sudden, is still in-forming me. You are often in my prayers, and now with more depth and friendship.
I saw you speak in Cleveland a couple of years ago. I appreciate your work for peace and for the poor. I appreciate your work to help the body of Christ find itself again--not as members of a particular party, but as children of God.
I wanted to tell you that I am sorry for your loss--YOur father sounds like a wonderful dad. He surely raised a great son. Peace be with you at this difficult time--and always.
Julie Boswell
Mr. Wallis,
Your father sounds like a man I would like to have known. That I have had such tremendous respect for the man you are and the work you have done for the last few decades says much about him, I suppose. Thank you for sharing your private thoughts and emotions about your father. I am looking forward to seeing my own father tomorrow on Thanksgiving Day and thank God every day that I have been able to spend this life as the child of such a man. May the arms of God hold you and your family close during this time and may you all continue to breathe Peace as you rest in the knowledge that we are never separate from Love.
Jim -
Many thanks for sharing this story on Thanksgiving eve. It is such a blessing to have personal testimony about those who make up our larger family, the "communion of saints."
Jim,
Prayers for God's comfort and peace as you grieve. As I Hospice Chaplain, we deal with grief a lot. I came across "An Affirmation for Those Who Have Lost" By James E. Miller
" I believe there is no denying it; it hurts to lose.It hurts to lose a cherished relationship with another, or a significant part of one's self. It can hurt to lose that which has united one with the past or that which has beckoned one into the future. It is painful to feel diminished or abandoned, to be left behind of left alone. Yet, I believe there is more to losing than just the hurt and the pain. For there are other experiences that loss can call forth. I believe that courage often appears, however quietly it is expressed, however easily it goes unnoticed by others: the courage to be strong enough to surrender, the fortitude to be firm enough to be flexible. I believe a time of loss can be a time of learning unlike any other, and that it can teach some of life's most valuable lessons.
In the act of losing there is something to be found. In the act of letting go, there is something to be grasped. In the act of saying "Goodbye" there is a hello to be heard. For I believe living with loss is about beginnings as well as endings. And grieving is a matter of life more than death. And growing is a matter of mind and heart and soul more than of time. Finally, I believe in the promising paradoxes of loss.
In the midst of darkness, there can be great light, At tbe bottom of despair, there can appear a great hope, and deep within lonliness, there can dwell a great love. I believe these things because others have shown the way - others who lost and have then found new meaning. So I know I am not alone: I am accompanied, day after day, night after day.
Blessings of comfort to you and your family.
Rev.Susan Wallace Moriarty
My heart and blessings go with you.
As one who provided in-home hospice for my mother and held her as she 'went home', I know the sadness and joy that goes with saying "see you later" to a dear loved one.
Also, as an experienced psychotherapist who has significant expertise in the area of death, your comment that "I'm not doing well" followed by your assertion to grieve him well, tells me you are doing very well in the way we all should.
Peace and Comfort,
Michael Filipiak
Milwaukee, WI
Jim, Thank you for sharing your dad's story, his faith, his lessons for all of us. How special that you have chosen to openly share your grief and his life with others, and so spreading his positive influence even further.
My heart goes out to your family and you,
Im Him, Sue L.
Jim,
Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this time. May God give you and your family the strength and comfort you need, and so fill you with resurrection hope that, even as you rightly grieve the loss of a father, you also truly honor and celebrate the life of a a great man of God--a life that is now more fully one with the eternal life of God.
We are filled with great sympathy for your loss, but also with much THANKSGIVING for your father--his contribution to the church, his family, and his community, and his crucial contribution to making you who you are.
Prayerfully yours in Christ,
Ken, Emily and Rachael
Thank you for sharing the eulogy that you gave at your fathers' funeral.
My dad died ten years ago (Nov 17, 1996) and the grief has felt particularly poignant this year - and yet, not raw as it did at the beginning. As you already know from the loss of your mother, the grief will come in waves.
One of the blessings I heard in your eulogy, and what prompted me to write, is the amazing gift that you (and I) received - in having a loving father. Your dad sounds like a remarkable man - who really modeled so much for you.
You will be in my prayers,
Dear Jim, thank you so much for sharing your heart with all of us. St. John Chrysostom (347-381 A.D.) once wrote: "Those whom we have loved and lost are no longer where they were before. They are now wherever we are." The Communion of Saints is a beautiful reality. May you and your dear ones experience the comfort of your father's ongoing love and care!
I know how painful it is to loose a beloved parent. May God bless you and keep you. May you feel Jesus' arms around you giving you comfort and love.
Peace be with you.
Thank you for sharing that beautiful tribute to your father, whose life was an example of a good and faithful servant. While I have never met your father, I was humbled and inspired by your recollection of his life of love and service. The fact that his light continues to shine, even to those who never knew him, is a powerful testimony.
Trip
Jim thanks for sharing. I can't imagine all of the different emotions that are swilring around inside your heart now, but do know that we your readers have been inspired by the life of your father that you have shared with us. May his memory be eternal!
Jim, Your honesty about your feelings concerning your father has hit a chord amongst many of your readers, including myself. My dad, a father and friend I miss terribly, passed away six years ago. He also had an impact on many people and that impact is what makes it a little easier to handle those awful waves that still come from nowhere. Sometimes those waves will come at you with sudden ferocity in public or in private places. To grieve well is indeed wise and healing.
Thank for opening yourself up to so many of us at such a vulnerable time in your life.
Thank you for sharing your lovely thoughts about your dad. My father died three years ago today just a few weeks before my wedding. While it was a terrible shock at the time, in insight I thought it was appropriate that he died around Thanksgiving. God couldn't have sent me a better father and I give thanks every day. And I'm sure you also feel blessed to have had Jim Senior. Happy Thanksgiving to all the dads -- here and beyond -- and their children. Linda
I don't know what to say because it just feels like all my words are hollow. Just know you are not alone.
p
Hi Jim
I enjoy your comments and just wanted to extend my sympathy to you at this sad time. My mother died on Thanksgiving Day which was her favorite holiday so I always think of her even though it was 20 years ago. My father died th 30th of December just the year before. My dad was a minister also and 500 were at his funeral. I also did the Eulogy for my mother. God certainly gave me His strength as I know HE did for you also. May the Holy Spirit comfort and surround you in His Holy Light.
With countless others, I -here in far away Australia - am blessed by your ministry and especially at this time by your moving tribute to your father and his ministry. In turn, God and Jesus be with you all at a dark time.
(Fr)John Bunyan
Thank you for the beautiful eulogy about your Dad. Your description of his life is an inspiration to all. May you and your family be surrounded by God's love and strength during this difficult time of loss.
My condolences to you and your family. It seems your father would have been proud of your eulogy of him.
I don't know you but I wanted you to know that your eulogy was very moving. I pray you and your family will experience this time of losing a loved one in your own way. Thank You!
My heart goes out to you! God bless the wonderul memories you have of your Dad, and may he put his loving arms around you and your family during this time. Elain Edge
Jim,
You've helped me to continue grieving the loss of my father, who recently passed away. Thank you for your bad exegesis. We love you and pray for your family.
Your words about your dad reflected who your dad was to so many people! It was obvious to me that he knew Jesus and emulated Jesus's walk here on earth. What a gift of love to all of those your dad's life was integrated with!
May his love continue to shine through you and yours and yes--take as much time grieving your dad as you need to--
Grief is a dark night of the soul and when you allow yourself to be in the grief, you come out on the other side, a changed person.
Bless you, Jim--all of you and your family!
May God assuage your grief and, when your grief has subsided, fill your heart with thankfulness that He gave you such a father in a world where many are not so fortunate.
At 71 years of age, having just written an email Thanksgiving reflection to my own children and grandchildren, I found such a blessing to think of what a child like Jim would say for all in a celebrative memorial! Thank You Jim for sharing this for me to read this family day!
Your eulogy was very moving for me in light of my father's death in March; my eyes again filled with tears and his memory.
I realize that I will also grieve him and my dead mother for years to come.
Thank you for your gift.
John
Thank you for sharing your dad's story with us. With your words, his work continues and reminds us of how many lives we touch. On this Thanksgiving Day, many of us will be blessed to spread a bit of this Spirit, just as you have.
May Peace Be With You.
Jim,
On Thanksgiving, I thank God for your dad. He is so inspiring to me. God bless you, comfort you and continue to inspire your work.
Peace,
Gail
Dear Jim, As a young woman of 26yrs., I lost my mother. it was early November and the holidays were especially hard that year. 45 yrs later I still grieve for her. But through the years I have found much of her within me that I can treasure and hold close. I feel sure that the same is true for you and that you are very much like the father you described in your eulogy. Just look at the number of folk who do not know you who feel somehow close enough to you to write here...including me.
Thanks to you for all you do.
Jim,
Thank you for sharing that sacred part of who you are in relation to your dad and who he was. Your gifts in Christ run deep, and now I sense that they will run deeper yet. I am strapping myself in for what lies ahead as we stand in Thanksgiving for all that we have and for all that we are given, and for all that we may yet be led to do. You have given much and so, the torch of your father may have been passed, but its flame continues to grow brighter and will never be extinguished.
God Bless you and all of your family and all of Gods family as we are continually being led deeper in what it means to "Follow Him".
Jim, I regret I never knew your dad or your family. I grew up in Redford also, attended St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic church just down the road from Dunning Park! Went past your family church many times. My sincerest sympathy to you at this difficult time in your life. My prayers are with you and your loved ones.
As a Hospice Chaplain I appreciate your tribute. Grieving is a powerful and important step to healing. You may wish to go to www.comfortforloss.com or www.dyingwell.com for more assistance. My condolences and prayers,
I read your article on Thanksgiving Day as I spent time with my parents and one set of siblings. Thanks for reminding me to appreciate my family, and for the story of what kind of family I can aspire to have one day. I hope you all have a peaceful and joyous celebration today even as you grieve.
Thank you very much for sharing your eulogy of your father with all of us. It was a very fitting piece to read as I take a break in the middle of preparing a thanksgiving meal for family and friends.
You know this already, but you were blessed in your father, and he was blessed in you.
What honest, heartfelt words. On this Thanksgiving, Your words have stirred me to give thanks for those who have made me who I am today. My heart goes out to you and your entire family during this time of grief and transition.
Thank you so much for sharing so much of your heart with us. What a wonderful tribute to your father...as is your own life. Thank you. May God's peace and comfort surround you daily.
Jim,
Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful eulogy of your father with us. From your words, it is clear that your father was truly a wonderful man of God. Each day of his life, he spread his unique brand of love to every life he touched. He lived and fulfilled God's holy purpose and yes...now he is in a beautiful new home with your Mother. They are rejoicing as they are together again basking in the precious light of God. May God bless you and your family in this difficult time. It is important to take time to grieve. But through your grief, may you all remain steadfast in your faith that death is never an end...only a beginning. Your father and mother wait for you and your precious family and yes...someday you will all be together again in the kingdom of God. When you will all hear the special words of our Lord and Savior Jesus saying "well done my faithful servants." May your family and your ministry be continually blessed by the light and the love of God.
God's love, peace, comfort and joy to you all.
Jim Whitton
I've just reading your beautiful eulogy to your father and want to send my condolences to you and your family.
I have been moved to tears reading about your father's life - I've longed to know a mentor like him all my life and had begun to believe that Christians like him didn't exist.
It's so heartening to hear thay they do - your father, through his death, is inspiring me to aim higher in how I live my life and how I relate to others around me.
What a wonderful legacy.
May you & all your family know the Lord's peace and presence as you take the time to grieve him well.
with my very best wishes,
Gwen, London UK
What an inspiration to read your description of your father's life!
His legacy lives on to bless even strangers through your words and life.
Dear Jim,
I know you through reading Sojourners and God's Politics, and now can discern where some of your Faith and faithfulness come from. Your tribute to your father was an inspiration, and will influence all who read it to be drawn to Our Lord and Savior !
I know what you mean when you say that you are having a struggle with this.
I keep remembering -- the shortest verse in the Bible is "Jesus Wept."
If Jesus can weep at the death of a loved one, I think it is perfectly all right for us to do the same.
Hearing about your father said so much about who you are....and why the passion! Your father's favorite scripture from Philippians was my husband's favorite, also, read at his funeral last year. This added to the "feel" of kindred spirits.
I thank you for your Being, and I thank your Father and Mother for you...!
Dear Jim,
It's easy to see now where your great compassionate heart comes from! thank you for sharing your wonderful eulogy with the rest of us. May your dear dad rest in God's peace!
Jim,
I didn’t discover Sojourners until I saw the ad in the New York Times, “Jesus is not a Republican or a Democrat.” I immediately identified with your thinking on religion and politics. Today when I read this eulogy, I reflected upon the fact that I too grew up in metropolitan Detroit—Warren, Michigan. My father, the son of a WWI vet, himself a WWII Navy veteran, and a self-educated man of the God, inspired my sisters and me to seek justice and love mercy. He left us suddenly in November 1970.
May the God of all comfort—comfort you with the same comfort with which he comforted us. And may we continually seek to honor our Father in Heaven and our earthly fathers by sharing His Comfort with our world.
JIM:My condolences to you and thanks
for sharing the fine eulogy.John
14:1 is my favorite SS. for a par-
ticular reason.
Keep up the GOOD work! CL
It is in this hour that I would gently remind you of the wisdom of Christ's words when he said; "Let the dead bury themselves."
There is no need to mourn, as you yourself admitted your father was a loving man. Rejoice that he has returned to GOD.
Blessings to you,
your humble servant,
ancient clown
Dear Jim
Thank you for sharing your most private thoughts about a soul wrenching experience. The loss of one's parents (father/mother)is gut wrenching and you are never, ever the same. He lived his life, lived it well and most of all taught his family (and everyone he came in contact with) how to love. Grieve him well, he deserves nothing less than that. God bless and keep you at this time!
Thank you for "sharing" your father with us, your readers. Even in his death, his faith continues to work and has touched me. My deepest sympathies in your loss.
Your eulogy for your dad had the same sentiments and thoughts that I experienced when I lost my dad 16 years ago. He was 93 and in perfect health, but was ready to go when the Lord called for him. I believe that he immediately got his resurrection body as your dad did, and is in heaven for eternity. 16 years have passed and I still miss him deeply but I'm comforted that he is safe with the Lord that elected him to salvation before the foundation of the world. My mom died 1 yr later from the grief of losing him after 50 years of marriage. She too has reunited with him and I'm happy for them both. Our faith is what gives us hope that we will see them again, not as parents but as fellow heirs of the promise sealed with Christ's death and resurrection.
What a man ! What a life ! What a legacy ! Thank you for pemitting us, in ways, to partake of that legacy!
God bless you for the beautiful tribute to your father. I have tears in my eyes as I reflect on what you have written. Though I don't know you or your father, somehow you have touched a cord and I am in awe of his life and his example. I have never been this touched, inspired, and saddened over the death of someone I never knew. I also read "The Rubble of War" and cannot imagine what horrors he has seen in his life. The image of the 5 year old girl walking out of the lifeless rubble is haunting and I will always carry it with me when I explain to others how tragic and awful war is and how all of humanity suffers because of it.
God bless you and your family. May we all fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith.
Soli deo gloria,
Susan Wanga
Palatine, IL
Dear Jim,
I know you only through your writing, your work with Sojourners, and a few personal appearances. So--thanks for sharing your touching tribute to your Dad with us--your extended family. May God continue to be with you and your family in this loss.
David L.
Minneapolis
Mr. Wallis,
I am truly sorry for the paasing of your Father. He sounds like he was an amazing man. I can definitely see after reading his eulogy that he had a deep and profound impact on your life. I pray God's strength and grace on you and your family during this time.
Dear Jim,
Thank you for sharing your reflections on your dear late Dad. It was incredibly moving and inspiring hearing about his life and influence on you and your family, as well as so many others.
I hope that he's enjoying meeting all those saints that he admired or who influenced him, especially if they're dropping in to the Wallis Heavenly Open House!
I hope that he's had a chance to catch up with Jim Punton, who had such a big influence on me.
I know that the prayers of many of us in the UK are going up for you, Joy and the family. God bless you all at this time.
Graham Richards (ex-FYT staff)
Thank you for being open to sharing your beautiful eulogy with us.
I hold you and your family in my heart and prayers as you go through this time of transition.
Your comment,"My wife, Joy Carroll, a good priest and preacher, isn’t sure what I am about to say is good exegesis of John 14" really interested me. Probably because I may have some similar reactions as she. However, since none of us really knows for sure how to interpret John 14 or prove it, I received the impression that whether there is a heaven in the traditional interpretation or not, your parents practiced heaven on earth with their open home. Thanks again for sharing theirs and your lovely story.
What a beautiful eulogy. I'm so glad to have "met" your father through your words. Really inspiring.
What a beautiful eulogy and legacy. Jim, thank you for sharing. It was also comforting for me as I was grieving somewhat for departed love ones. Your father lives on in all you do with Sojourner and other endeavors. Blessings!
Dear Jim,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings about your father and expressing, in so many ways, your love for him.
I am constantly aware of my mother, who died eight years ago at age 91. She quietly taught others to know God's love by her words and her daily life.
From the time I was 5 years old, we sang together for our church. Special songs and scriptures that we shared are often with me when I need them most. It is a wonderful bond that a parent can give a child, one that lasts a lifetime and is not ended by death.
May God's love and peace be with you,
Joyce Munschauer
Ithaca, New York
Jim,
I'm so sorry to hear of Uncle Jim's passing. He was such a sweet and dear man. He had the very unusual talent to maintain a great sense of humor without a hint of mean-spiritedness.
I'll always remember that, despite the inumerable social and spiritual demands of his schedule, he never seemed too busy to have a very in-depth conversation with a child, no matter how silly the topic seemed to be, he listened intently and was completely engaged. I try to adhere to this example when I'm feeling frazzled and my daughter seeks my attention.
The love he and Auntie Phyl shared throughout their lives is the relationship I try to emulate with my husband.
Thanks for sharing the eulogy with us.
Love,
Erin
Dear Jim, I can only imagine the loss your soul must feel. For anyone who knows the Wallis family, this dear man created an amazing legacy. He was my childhood preacher and I can picture his sweet voice, words of wisdom and smiling face. He was a stronghold and a calm basis for the beginning stages of my faith life. It is with great sadness that I behold the mourning process for this family who have lost someone so vital and solid in their lives. It is only through Christs words of peace and comfort that I pray for each of them. And, with softness in my heart I will be thinking of them in the weeks and months ahead. Let these words be of forthright comfort.
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty, I will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!" Psalm 91: 1-2
Dear Jim,
I hope that when the time comes, I will be able to honor the memory of my father even half as well as you have done here. (My own dad's been ill these past two years, but keeps rebounding. I know it's just a matter of time before his heart stops and he leaves us for glory....) Yet, we know that love never ends, and I know that the wonderful memories you have will help to lessen the pain, with time. Love conquers death!
Thanks for sharing your eulogy. I am so sorry for your loss. I just know that Jesus's loving arms embrace you. God bless. Cynthia from Schenectady
Thanks for sharing your eulogy for your dad. A few years ago, a friend was diagnosed with a terminal illness. I began to think of things that should be said at his funeral. Then I decided that those things should be said while he was alive. I wrote four pages and sent them to him to enjoy now. I have done that for a couple of others. I think it is a good idea. Tell people now what you want to say about how they helped your life.
From the early days of Sojourners, I have gotten to know and appreciate you, Jim.
Now I understand you better.
Thanks so much for the beautiful tribute to your dad.
FRED
Your friends in Crookston, MN want to send our love and prayers on hearing of the death of your father. May this be a special time of grace for you as you grieve during this time of loss and rejoice over his eternal happiness.
Pax Christi Northwest Minnesota
Your father, and your mother too, stand as wonderful examples of the great power of parents to teach and demonstrate the love of God. I know God will bless them and comfort you and your family in their grief.
Jim,
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and your heart with us. Your father was truly an inspiration and I'm glad I got to know him through your eulogy and wish I could have known him in person. I pray for God's strength and peace in the times ahead as you grieve the passing of your father and celebrate his life.
There are no words for the emptiness of these losses. They will all ring out so hollow in the echo chambers where our source-springs run deepest. But there is where the very living water of our baptism flows, the very source-spring of life, and light and our surest hope. And that is where faith is reborn in the hope of this all-unconquerable love that is ours in Christ the Risen Lord.
How courageous you were to be able to deliver that wonderful tribute to your dad. I, too, thank you for sharing it with us.
Dear Jim, I read with such gratitude the life of your father. Although I did not know him, I know you through your book God's Politics and your writings in Sojourners. I appreciate your undending effort toward a peaceful world, and how we must clarify our values. I appreciate the fact that your father (and mother) were such a real influence in your life to spread the gospel of love. All my sympathy and best wishes as you continue in the work that your father taught. I hope that you will never give up on your work for peace. Appreciatively Dorothy D.
Jim, I am very sorry to hear about your Dad, I understand what you are going through, I had a similar expreience about 5 years ago when my father passeed away. Just hang in ther and be very strong.
Dear Jim,
As you wrote of losing your father I just received word I am losing mine. It reminded me what a gift it is to have a father I so deeply love and respect. I so appreciated your words because they show that love and respect. I will be praying you find those spaces in your day to remember, grieve, tell stories to your son.
Praying for you and your family. Again, you do not "get over it" but you do get through it. May his closeness continue to keep you warm.
Dear Jim,
So sorry to hear about the passing of your dad -- the words you spoke at his funeral gave testament to the power of love!
Reading through your words, I find myself wishing my relationship with my father was even a tiny fraction of what you (and so many others) had with your dad.
The loss of a loved one is never "gotten over" as you noted -- hopefully, the pain will ease and be replaced with the many loving, joyful memories this good, decent man has left with all of you.
God Bless You and Yours
Jim
I have just read your eulogy and I have tears streaming down my face - that can be nothing on how you, Joy, Luke and Jack feel. Our prayers are with you all. He has passed on to you so many great words of wisdom which you now share with others.
With much love to you all.
Lin and Giles
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